CONTRIBUTION IN ORIGINAL LANGUAGE
Write for Rights: Popi Qwabe and Bongeka Phungula
In May 2017, Popi Qwabe and Bongeka Phungula were heading out for a drink in Johannesburg, South Africa. At some point that evening, the pair hailed a minibu ...
In May 2017, Popi Qwabe and Bongeka Phungula made their way to Johannesburg, South Africa for a drink. At some point that evening, the couple called a minibus taxi. You weren't heard again. Popi and Bongeka had been shot and dumped on the roadside. You could also have been raped. According to the families, the police did not properly investigate the murders. A taxi was found with the women's bloodstains and belongings. While the blood was apparently analyzed, the forensic department never released the results. The families say the police did not look for fingerprints and the two girls' phones were never tracked. Two taxi drivers were arrested. They had some things from women, including a cell phone and lipstick, that they allegedly found in the taxi. However, police released the men on the basis of lack of evidence and the case has been withdrawn pending further investigation. No thorough investigation has been conducted in the three years since the murder.
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